Kevin Sinfield is over a quarter of the way to hitting his £777,777 target in aid of research into Motor Neurone Disease after completing day one of his latest ultra-marathon quest at York Minster on Friday afternoon.

The former Leeds Rhinos star and his team were cheered much of the way from Headingley Stadium in Leeds to their initial destination as they continue to raise awareness inspired by Sinfield’s friend and former team-mate Rob Burrow.

The fundraising tally had ticked over £200,000 within an hour of his departure in wet and cold conditions, and Sinfield thanked the supporters as he prepares for the second day of the challenge to Cardiff on Saturday.

Sinfield told the crowd: “We’re coming up to Christmas and it’s brilliant to be here with the lights on and feeling festive.

“If there’s someone you’ve not spoke to for months and you’ve had a daft fall out or whatever, please pick the phone up.

“Let’s look after each other, let’s make this a better place. Let’s look after the MND community and start looking after each other a bit better.”

Sinfield’s fourth fundraising challenge will see him look to complete seven ultra marathons in seven cities in seven days, as he follows the Welsh capital on Saturday with runs around Birmingham, Edinburgh, Dublin and Brighton, before finishing with a route that takes him up The Mall in London next week.

Since starting his ultra-marathon quest in 2020, the 43-year-old has raised over £8million to help fund research and help those with the disease, and he has vowed he will continue to undertake his marathon quest until a cure can be found.

His quest drew praise from snooker great Ronnie O’Sullivan, who was competing in the UK Championship less than a mile from the finish line in York.

Despite admitting to have “never heard” of Sinfield or his previous quests, O’Sullivan said: “I admire what he’s trying to do, for sure. There’s some serious effort going into that, good luck to him.”

:: To donate to Kevin Sinfield’s 7 in 7 quest, see https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/kevin-sinfield